Author: Chelsey Taylor, PhD Candidate, Swinburne University of Technology

From revolutionary Geelong ruckman Graham “Polly” Farmer, to the electrifying Krakouer brothers (Phil and Jim) at North Melbourne, through to modern stars such as Charlie Cameron, Adam Goodes, Lance Franklin and Eddie Betts, Indigenous athletes have long shone brightly on Australian Football League (AFL) fields. However, there has recently been a worrying drop in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players and draft picks. It’s an issue the AFL is concerned about, with a steady decline of Indigenous players over the past four years in the men’s and women’s leagues. In 2024, 70 men and 21 women players identified as Aboriginal…